Saturday, October 29, 2011

This is another spider I came across while out hiking. This one is a bit larger than the Itsy Bitsy Spider I posted previously. Now that it is getting later in the year, there were fewer spiders hanging around (no pun intended). I believe it might be some type of Orb Weaver, but I couldn't make a positive ID.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I was thinking about how I wanted to write this review for Magnum's Work Pro Ultra boots and I decided just to keep it simple and to the point. I'll skip most of the technical stuff because you can find that on Magnum's website. What I will do is give you the meat and potatoes - my straight up impression of the boots. First, though, I need to take care of a little business just like I did when I reviewed the Work Horse boots. I am a field tester for Magnum. They sent me the Work Pro Ultra's for wear testing. I am not employed by Magnum. They have not seen this review until now and did nothing to influence it in any form. This review is my opinion and mine alone. I like to be clear up front about how I acquired the boots. This concludes the business.

Now, on to the good stuff. I have been wearing the Work Pro Ultra's since the beginning of the year. Yes, I know that seems like a long time to test something. I'm not one to wear the boots around the house for a week and call 'em good. Many times issues don't start to arise until you've used something for a while. In reality, I could have written this review a few months ago and had the same conclusion. I'm probably the slowest field tester Magnum has in terms of coming out with my formal review.

TechnicalI'm going to hit the highlights here. The boots have a leather upper, carbon rubber outsole, ATSM approved composite safety toe, and Ion-mask technology. They are waterproof (more on that in a bit) and electrical hazard resistant. The boots have other technical features you can read about on Magnum's website.

Quality and CraftsmanshipOut-of-the-box the boots had no manufacturing issues. There was nothing about them that would cause me to send them back. After all of my wear testing, there are still no problems. The stitching is excellent, the soles show no signs of wear, and the leather has held up wonderfully. I can't find anything worn, torn, or wrong with them. I haven't used any kind of dressing on the leather. If they get muddy, I simply wash them off with water and that's it.

As you can see in the above photo, the Work Pro Ultra's are a pull-on style boot. The straps are heavy duty and can be manipulated even while wearing gloves. The boots are very easy to get on and off and the soles provide excellent traction.

Comfort and FitLike other Magnum boots I have worn, the Work Pro Ultra's are very comfortable. There was zero break-in time with these boots. The first time I wore them felt like the hundredth time. They fit me perfectly - not too tight and not too sloppy. I wear a size 11 and I have found Magnum's fit to be dead on with every pair of their boots I've worn. I haven't experienced any hot spots or discomfort anywhere on my feet. Last week I worked a horse competition and was on my feet in the arena for 10 hours a day. My feet were happy at the end of each day.

WaterproofingToday's waterproofing on most footwear is good. There was a time when that wasn't the case. Even so, I like to test the waterproof capabilities of my boots. When I'm hunting or working, I want to know my boots will keep me dry. When I tested the Work Horse boots last year, I stood in a cold creek to check the waterproofing. I didn't have a creek handy this time so I improvised and put the Work Pro Ultra's in the bathtub. I filled it with enough water to cover the top of the foot and left them in there for 30 minutes. When I went back and checked them, they were bone dry. There wasn't a trace of water inside.

ConclusionTo say I'm impressed and pleased with these boots would be stating it mildly. They have performed exactly as intended without fail. If you work in construction, with heavy equipment, landscaping, on a ranch, a farm, at the hunting cabin, your own yard, or you have to be in dirty, dusty, muddy, wet, or nasty conditions, you should give serious consideration to the Work Pro Ultra's. They are comfortable, durable, and will keep your feet dry. If you've read any of the other reviews on my blog, you know I won't recommend inferior products no matter who makes them. Magnum makes superior products and if they didn't, I wouldn't agree to be a field tester.

To find out more about Magnum and their products, just click on the links below. They have top notch customer service and an excellent PR team. They love to interact with people and will be happy to answer any questions you have or resolve any issues you may have. Magnum's team is very active on Facebook and Twitter and I encourage you to visit them. They also have a very nice blog called BLDG4801 where you can get lots of inside information.

Friday, October 21, 2011

The fall color seems to be occurring in stages with some trees still green, others in color, and the rest devoid of leaves already. It has been difficult to find large areas full of color at the same time. I was hoping for larger scenics, but it has been mostly individual trees. Many of the leaves developed spots before completely turning. I'm not a dendrologist or a botanist, but I wonder if it's some kind of fungus because of the rain we've had this year. Or maybe it's normal and I just haven't noticed before now.